</s>PAGE TWO SL. 44-775 TRAVELING BY BUS. HE WAS WEARING BLUE SLACKS AND SHIRT. HE DID NOT OBTAIN S NAME AND ADDRESS AND THEREFORE WOULD NOT BE IN CONTACT WITH HER AGAIN. INDICATED THE INDIVIDUAL APPEARED FLIGHTY AND IGNORANT OF AMERICAN CUSTONS, BUT OTHERWISE SEEDED STABLE. ABOVE FURNISHED FOR MEMPHIS TO DISSININATE TO APPROPRIATE STATE PRISON OFFICIALS. END RMS FBI VA DC CLR 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations from 1974 involving James Earl Ray, the accused assassin of Martin Luther King Jr., and related individuals such as Cliff Andrews, Raymond Lewis Curtis (also known as "MURKIN"), and Robert Livingston. Communications between Memphis and Detroit FBI offices reveal that Andrews, described as a Canadian man with a French accent residing at the Colonial Motel in Ontario, Canada, requested funds to gather individuals involved in MLK’s assassination. Memphis advised Detroit against pursuing overt investigations into Andrews unless directed. Separate records reference Curtis, who escaped from Ware Correctional Institution in 1972 and remained fugitive as of 1974. FBI interviews with Curtis in 1968 referenced his alleged involvement in a plot to kill MLK, while later documents mention his criminal history as an armed robber with a mental age of 10 years and 6 months. A 1974 case involving Ray’s legal team noted potential evidence in a safe deposit box implicating "very influential businessmen" in the assassination. Additionally, FBI records include claims by Bill Harris and Shilley Cates that labor unions, particularly the Teamsters and AFSCME, conspired to assassinate MLK, with Jerry Worth alleged to have taken control of operations in Memphis post-assassination.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Accused assassin of Martin Luther King Jr., represented by attorneys Robert Livingston and Bernard Fensterwald.  
- **Cliff Andrews**: Alleged associate of Ray, described as a Canadian man with a French accent residing at the Colonial Motel in Ontario, Canada.  
- **Raymond Lewis Curtis (MURKIN)**: Convicted murderer linked to MLK’s assassination, escaped from Ware Correctional Institution in 1972 and remained fugitive through 1974.  
- **Robert Livingston**: Attorney representing Ray, claimed contact with individuals alleging responsibility for MLK’s death, including Andrews.  
- **Jerry Worth**: President of AFSCME, alleged to have taken control of operations in Memphis after MLK’s assassination.  
- **Bill Harris**: Alleged witness to conspiracy claims involving labor unions and the assassination.  
- **Shilley Cates**: Interlocutor in conversation with Harris discussing labor union conspiracies.  
- **George McMILLAN**: Correspondent at Ware Correctional Institution, allegedly received leather goods from Curtis post-escape.  
- **Russell Thompson**: Memphis attorney involved in legal proceedings related to Ray’s case.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: FBI offices and legal representation for James Earl Ray; location of Robert Thompson’s communications with Andrews.  
- **Detroit, Michigan**: FBI office monitoring communications related to Cliff Andrews.  
- **Ontario, Canada**: Colonial Motel where Cliff Andrews allegedly resided.  
- **Ware Correctional Institution (Georgia)**: Site of Raymond Curtis’s incarceration and escape in 1972.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Location of FBI records referencing "MURKIN" and Curtis’s criminal history.  
- **Brunswick, Maryland** (Hawaiian Hotel): Mentioned in context of George McMILLAN’s activities.  
- **White Lake, North Carolina**: Birthplace of Bill Harris.  

Key Events  
- **July 15–17, 1974**: Phone communications between Memphis attorney Robert Thompson and Cliff Andrews, detailing financial requests for information on MLK’s assassination; FBI confirmed Andrews’ phone number at the Colonial Motel in Ontario.  
- **July 21–22, 1968**: FBI interviews with Raymond Lewis Curtis (MURKIN) regarding alleged involvement in a plot to kill MLK.  
- **April 4, 1968**: Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in Memphis; subsequent claims by Harris and Cates that labor unions conspired to kill him.  
- **July 18, 1972**: Raymond Curtis escaped from Ware Correctional Institution while serving a life sentence for murder.  
- **1974**: Legal proceedings involving James Earl Ray’s case, including requests for Shelby County Sheriff’s Department records and potential evidence in a safe deposit box implicating businessmen.  
- **January 20, 1974**: Robert Livingston met with a source in Detroit, but no connection to Curtis was found.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted communications and investigations into Ray, Andrews, Curtis, and labor union conspiracy claims.  
- **American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)**: Allegedly involved in a conspiracy to assassinate MLK, according to Harris’s claims.  
- **Teamsters Union**: Accused by Harris of paying someone to kill MLK after King’s assassination.  
- **Georgia Department of Corrections**: Managed Ware Correctional Institution where Curtis was incarcerated and escaped from.  
- **Civil Rights Division (U.S. Department of Justice)**: Involved in investigations related to Raymond Curtis’s criminal history and potential involvement in MLK’s assassination.  
- **Tennessee state legal authorities**: Mentioned in context of Shelby County Sheriff’s Department records and legal proceedings for James Earl Ray.

MLK Declassified Files

190-hq-709_bulky_231_sec_008_ser_231_only-part_08_of_12.pdf

Document Summary

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